How money is allegedly used to destroy stars’ careers in Bollywood

Bollywood’s rivalry was once largely confined to the silver screen. Who delivered the better performance, whose film performed better at the box office, and which filmmaker won critical acclaim were the main points of competition. But the landscape has changed. Today, one of the fiercest battles in Bollywood is being fought on the tiny screens of mobile phones on social media.

Fake accounts, misleading posts, trending hashtags, organised trolling networks and, at times, mass reporting are allegedly being used as weapons. There are claims that crores of rupees are being spent on this invisible war to target rival actors or films. Behind Bollywood’s glamorous facade, an alleged dark world of “paid trolling” online campaigns driven by money has emerged.

An investigative report by 'The Indian Express' has highlighted various allegations and experiences surrounding this phenomenon. According to the report, online reputation management, or ORM, has become an important part of the public relations strategy of many stars. Once primarily focused on building and maintaining a positive image for an artist, some agencies are now alleged to be involved in spreading rumours, running negative campaigns against rivals and creating an artificial perception of public opinion on social media.

How a storm of rumours is created

It can all begin with an apparently harmless social media post.

Suppose a popular actor uploads a photograph from a holiday abroad. Around the same time, photographs of another young woman appear on social media. Someone then notices similarities between the backgrounds of the two photographs, triggering speculation. Claims begin circulating on Reddit, X and Instagram.

According to allegations cited in the report, organised online networks may then become active. Hundreds of accounts post similar content, repeating the same allegation, suggestion or type of comment. Within a short time, it can create the impression that a particular issue is being widely discussed by the public.

But the question is whether such reactions genuinely represent spontaneous public opinion or are being deliberately manufactured. Distinguishing between the two has become increasingly difficult.

The report mentions an incident involving actor Kartik Aaryan, in which misleading claims circulated on social media about a young woman. She later said that she did not know Kartik Aaryan. By then, however, the rumour had already reached a large audience.

‘Mass reporting’: A new weapon of trolling

The alleged tactics are not limited to abusive or negative comments. Actor and filmmaker Anshuman Jha has alleged that his Instagram account was subjected to “paid mass reporting” where a large number of accounts simultaneously report a particular profile or post.

The objective could be to restrict the account’s activities or draw the platform’s attention to it in an attempt to have the account suspended.

Social media has become an important part of an artist’s professional life. Film promotions, communication with audiences and brand collaborations are all closely linked to these platforms. As a result, restrictions on an artist’s account can have professional consequences, not merely personal ones.

A business worth crores

The alleged online war also involves significant amounts of money. According to the report, small-scale coordinated online campaigns can cost anywhere from a few thousand to several lakh rupees. When organised campaigns are carried out around a major film, star or long-term publicity strategy, the cost can allegedly run into several crores of rupees.

Actress Priyanka Bose has said that she faced harassment not only through public social media posts but also through private messages. She said that after expressing her political views, attacks began appearing in the private inboxes of both her and her partner.

Negative perceptions about an actor before a film’s release, controversies surrounding a star’s personal life or efforts to establish a particular narrative about a rival can allegedly involve long-running online campaigns.

This raises a larger question: How much of what people see on social media actually represents genuine public opinion?

Advertisements are not spared either

Such campaigns are allegedly not limited to films and actors. Advertisements can also become targets.

The report refers to an advertisement featuring Kriti Sanon that was based on the Raksha Bandhan festival. The advertisement faced a wave of negative reactions online and was eventually withdrawn.

Criticism of a film or advertisement is, of course, a normal part of public discourse. But when identical or similar views are deliberately amplified through hundreds or thousands of accounts, it goes beyond ordinary criticism.

Film critics have also allegedly faced organised trolling. When someone dislikes a review, critics may be subjected to personal attacks, their old social media posts may be dug up, or their credibility may be questioned.

Artists under mental pressure

Those targeted often pay the biggest price in this alleged online battle.

Priyanka Bose has said that she faced harassment both through public social media posts and private messages. Following her political comments, she and her partner were allegedly subjected to attacks in their personal inboxes.

Online attacks do not always remain confined to the digital world. They can extend to an artist’s family, relationships and concerns about personal safety.

Acting coach and filmmaker Atul Mongia said that allegations of paid trolling in India have existed for at least a decade. According to him, some campaigns are so carefully planned that their coordinated nature can be easily noticed. However, the situation becomes particularly serious when such attacks begin affecting an artist’s family or personal safety.

The allegation is not new

Claims of organised online hate campaigns against Bollywood are not new.

In 2021, actor Arbaaz Khan said that he believed a significant portion of the wave of hatred directed at Bollywood on social media had been deliberately created. According to him, its impact extended beyond the industry’s image and affected the personal and professional lives of artists.

In 2025, actor Abhishek Bachchan also faced allegations on social media involving “paid PR” and buying awards. He publicly denied the allegations, saying that his only answer was hard work.

Such allegations illustrate how, regardless of how prominent a star may be, their public image can be rapidly altered in the digital age.

The algorithm trap

Social media algorithms can also play an important role in the spread of organised trolling. Controversial, provocative and emotionally charged posts tend to attract attention quickly. People comment, share and respond, causing the content to spread even further.

As a result, even false information can reach millions of people within hours.

By the time the truth emerges, the first impression created in people’s minds can be difficult to change. This may be one of the greatest strengths of organised trolling: establishing a perception before the truth has a chance to catch up.

Public opinion or manufactured opinion?

Competition has always been a part of Bollywood. In many ways, competition has contributed to better films, stronger performances and new storytelling.

But when competition shifts away from acting, filmmaking and storytelling and turns into a battle of misinformation and character attacks, the entire industry suffers.

Audiences can be misled. Artists can face serious psychological pressure. And the genuine assessment of a film’s quality can become obscured.

The most important question is whether, in the age of social media, people are really forming their own opinions or whether algorithms, trending hashtags and invisible trolling networks are telling them whom to admire and whom to dislike.

The alleged invisible war behind Bollywood’s glamorous world is therefore no longer merely a problem for the stars. It is also a problem for audiences.

Ultimately, the question facing Bollywood is whether a film’s success will be determined by audience taste, the quality of the movie and an artist’s work or by artificial public opinion created through crores of rupees in paid online campaigns.

Based on a report by The Indian Express.

-HIS